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INTERNATIONAL RULES OF MONDIORING
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Mondioring was created by delegates from several countries in Europe and America, in hopes of utilizing different portions of already existing national dog sports, and allowing an enriching union of all the enthusiasts of working dogs, beginners or experienced. Its goal is to be entertaining for the spectators, a game of progressive difficulties for the participants, and a competitive sport for the
training enthusiasts.
To practice Mondioring, you will need a fenced field equipped with various materials, and one or two decoys, protected by a bite suit, who will be the partners of the dog, of the dog handler; and of the judge to determine the best dog and handler team of the day, under the conditions provided for by the regulations. These regulations concern trial procedures, the points allotted to the exercises, and the penalties related to faults committed.
To be accessible to the largest group of enthusiasts, Mondioring must be concise in its description, simple in its practice, and clear in its judgment. The judges must never forget the intent, which motivated the originators of this program, each time there is a discrepancy in the regulations. They must, above all, respect the spirit of these regulations and prohibit any abusive interpretation prejudicial to the dog.
The purpose of Mondioring is to highlight the aptitudes of the dog, the quality of its training, the control of its handler, and especially, the genetic inheritance of the dog.
The program consists of three disciplines, which will proceed in the following order:
1. Obedience exercises
2. Jumping exercises
3. Biting exercises.
The order of the exercises will be the same for everyone.
Note: The Mondioring regulations have been translated into several languages and differences may appear between the translations. If any discrepancy appears, the regulations in French will serve as reference.
For a brief history, let us mention that in the past the decoy has also been called “Apache”, “Malfaiteur” (lawbreaker), “Mannequin”, and “Paillasse” (strawman). In America we call him “Decoy” (lure) or “Helper” (assistant). Each one of these terms carries with it a philosophy of the art of training and it will be interesting to be able to add to this list the terms used in Germany, Spain, Holland, Italy or Switzerland, if they are different. For it is the name of the decoy (lit. trans. assistant man), which for simplicity we use the initials H. A., Compared with the “hunting dog”, “defense dog”, “guard dog”, the man is not truly “attacking”, because generally he defends himself, flees, or steals an object entrusted to the dog.
What he is, as said in the preceding section, is the partner of the dogs and the handlers. He must also be an adversary, because he must collaborate with the Judge in the competitions, to help the Judge to classify the dogs by order of merit.
If the Decoy merely maintains a passive behavior, he is only a moveable puppet, good only to be bitten. If his role is to allow the Judge to evaluate the quality of the dog, he must oppose the animal. As he is protected by his bite suit, he risks exaggerating this opposition. He risks also, knowingly or not, behaving differently from one dog and another.
His is a difficult position, but he will have to always hold it in the best sporting spirit. Without analyzing the work of the Decoy technically, we should lay down three golden rules never to be forgotten:
- The Decoy will be absolutely impartial.
- He will never inflict, in any manner, physical pain upon the dog.
- He will have to behave as if he were not wearing a protective bite suit, and therefor, use promptness, deception, threats, and dodging to defend himself or impress the dog.
The Decoy will in no case strike the dog with the baton.
When he uses the revolver, he will fire in the air, at an angle of about 45°.
At the beginning of the Face Attacks, the Decoy will always place himself at a distance of 10 to 20 meters away from the start of the exercise in the central line of the attack.
At the beginning of the Flee Attacks, the Decoy will always place himself at a distance of 10 meters away from the start of the exercise in the central line of the attack.It is forbidden for the Decoy to speak and order the dog by voice (physical gestures are allowed).
If liquid is to be used, only water is acceptable.
The Judge is responsible for the work of his Decoy, and the Decoy must conform to his regulations.
For FCI-Mondioring level III, two or three Decoys will share the exercises (in the defence of the handler only two decoys are allowed). It is up to the judges to decide which decoy does which exercise).
In FCI-Mondioring level II, two decoys will share the exercises at the judge’s choice. Level 1 can be done with just one decoy.
The selection of the Decoy is carried out in each participating country by methods that are determined by that country.
All handlers must be present for Dog in White, and will be dressed appropriately. All use of rewards (food or toy) is forbidden and will result in the exclusion from the competition. The handler enters the field with his dog, at the invitation of the Deputy Judge of the ring. He will then follow the Deputy Judge to the Judge’s table to present himself to the Judge, his dog at heel, without leash, collar, or muzzle. He will indicate the initial length and heights chosen for the jumps. He will also specify to the Judge if he is calling his dog from distance by voice or with the whistle.
In Level III, the handler will then choose an envelope in which is stated the nature of the first Flee Attack. Without opening it, he will give it at once to the Judge who will be the only one to know, until after the departure of the dog to the attack, if it is a Flee Attack or Stopped Attack [see process in the description of the attacks]. The Judge must indicate on the scoresheet, before routine begins, if the Stop Attack is the 1st or 2nd, unless there are two judges officiating: in this case the two judges know the order.
In Level II & III the handler will choose the piece of numbered wood intended for the Search for an Object with his/her back to the dog and without showing the wood to the dog. The handler may hold the wood in his/her hands for a maximum of 5 seconds without any other manipulation or exposure to additional scent. He/she will slip it into an empty pocket. It is forbidden to put his/her hand in his/her pocket until the wood is placed in the designated spot with the handler’s back to the dog.
The handler places himself at the disposal of the Deputy Judge who leads him to the starting point of each exercise, within approximately 3 meters before the line of departure. Preparation of the dog for the exercise is allowed just before the preparation line at three meters before the Line of Departure. It must be discrete and quick, and cannot be made after the sound of the horn announcing the authorization to take place at the line of departure. A first sound of the horn by the Judge signals to go to the line of departure. Non-compliance with the first horn signalling the move to the line of departure will result in a 2 point GA deduction. The handler will then have 30 seconds, timed by the Judge, to position his dog and approach the Line of Departure. If the handler is not fully prepared within these 30 seconds, the exercise is cancelled. The handler may give only one position command (sit, down, stand, according to the exercise). He may then give an optional stay command, example: not to move, place, stay. Any repetition of any of these commands (position or stay) is regarded as an additional command and is penalized one point. If the handler has to give 5 additional commands, the exercise is cancelled, even if the 30 seconds granted for the preparation has not passed.
As soon as the handler and his dog are in their respective places at the Line of Departure, the Judge will give another sound of the horn which indicates the start of the exercise and the handler will use the appropriate starting command, which may be preceded by the name of the dog. Any irregular command will involve a penalty.
There are two types of recall commands, the distance recall and the close recall (1 meter or closer). The close recall is regarded as a recall to heel.
All the distance recalls can be made by voice or with the whistle. The handler must inform the Judge at the time of the presentation the type of distance recall chosen and keep to it under pain of penalization. All the close recalls must be made by voice.
Whether made by voice or with the whistle, the recalls must be short and be given without hesitation. A non-continuous recall command is regarded as an additional command and penalized as such.
Only one command for recall is allowed. Any additional recall is penalized [see exercise by exercise]. In the case of a disobedient dog, which would require additional recalls, his handler would lose extra points on General Attitude.
Similarly, if the dog continues to bite beyond 5 seconds of the end of the biting exercise, whether recalled or not, loses the 10 points to the return without counting eventually the General Attitude points at the discretion of the Judge.
The dog, which does not return to heel during the allotted time, loses the 10 points attributed at the end of the biting exercises. In Level I, the handler may allow his dog to guard the Decoy, instead of a recall, at the end of the Attack exercises. He must inform the Judge of this at the time of presentation. If, after 30 seconds from the first recall command, a dog does not stop biting in all the attacks, the judge will request the handler to leash the dog and leave the field. If the handler moves without authorization in order that the dog stops biting after the first command in any biting exercise, the judge will request the handler to leash the dog and leave the field. In both cases the dog will be disqualified and will lose all points accumulated. “Disqualification” will be marked in the scorebook.
If the Judge believes the execution of an exercise leaves something to be desired, he will apply a penalty of up to 10% of the points obtainable in the exercise in question. This applies as well to any inappropriate behaviour of a competitor before, during, or after its round. The severity of the
penalty will be at the Judge’s discretion.
All intervention of a competitor in front of the Jury during the round, other than informing them of
illness of himself or his dog, is strictly forbidden. This is punishable by a penalty of 10 points in
General Attitude and expulsion from competition if the violation is repeated.
The penalties toward General Attitude are applied as a deduction from the total points gained by
the competitor.
In case of a serious incident, the Judge can expel the competitor and confiscate his score book. He
will also furnish a detailed fact-finding report that he would forward to the National committee,
also to the Chairman of the concerned regional Canine society.
The handler must have a score book issued by the responsible Mondioring authority of his country. Any breed of dog is admitted. The dog must hold a pedigree issued by a canine society recognized by the International Cynological Federation (F.C.I.). To begin Mondioring competition, a dog must also be at least 12 months old. All dogs must have completed a recognized sociability test and a health record.
Before being able to compete in Level III, a dog must pass the following stages:
- qualify in Level I by twice obtaining at least 160 points out of 200, and
- qualify in Level II by twice obtaining at least 240 points out of 300.
If the handler wishes, he may remain in his level as long as he desires. Also, a handler is allowed to compete in Level II as often as he deems it useful as long as the competing dog has not achieved 300 points at level III.
A dog competing in Ring may begin in Mondioring in the level in which he competes in Ring in his home country. A dog that participates in national trials (selective/regional competitions for the national championship) in his country with the highest category must directly start in Level III of Mondioring.
Following the rules of the FCI, male dogs which participate in Mondioring trials must have two testicles that appear normal and completely descended into the scrotum.
As soon as the competition field is laid out, access will be forbidden to all competitors under pain of exclusion from competition.
The use of electric collars, prong collars, corrective collars etc. within on the competition field, parking lot, etc. is subject to disqualification.
Organizations who wish to organize competition must take the greatest care in their preparation and neglect no detail. They should inform, by all possible means, the coordinating organizations of each country, in order to benefit from foreign participation.
The Jury will consist of one or more qualified Judges, aided in their functions by Selected Decoys. Maximum judging time for a single Judge is 9 hours per day.
The organization must also choose a Deputy Judge, who must be current on the programme and rules of the trial.
One or two competent secretaries are indispensable for the competition to run smoothly. A table (chart) for the Judge will be provided in such a manner for the judges to be able to reach it while continuing to watch the work executed in the ring.
The organizer should provide a minimum of 2 field helpers, for moving the various obstacles, throwing of food, setting jumps, etc.
The dimensions of the competition field must be at least 60m by 40m and a maximum area of 5000 square meters. The ground must not be hard, that is, neither paved nor gravel. Care must be taken that there are no objects on the field that could injure the dog. The field must be appropriately fenced all the way to the ground. There must be at least 2 entrances to the field, one for the handlers accompanied by their dogs, and the other for the Decoys.
The field can incorporate decorations that correspond with the theme of the trial. The theme is chosen by the organizing club.
The organizer is in charge of marking the field. A starting point for each exercise must be marked. For the Guard of an Object exercise, two concentric circles must be marked out, with a radius of 2 m and 5 m. For the jumps, the squares must be clearly marked on the ground by the palisade, by the long jump, and by the hurdle standards. For the Absence of Handler and Refusal of Food, an opening in the hiding area so the handler may see his dog during the exercise must be provided.
For the Send Away exercise, a line 20 m in length will be marked parallel to the starting point and marked by 2 posts (or flags) placed at each end. At 5 m inside the flags will be 2 perpendicular lines 1 m in length, which define the optimal zone of travel. The axis of the trajectory (centre line) needs to be in the center of the field; diagonals are not allowed; and should be free of all objects that could distract the dog. The cone markers can be replaced with items of decoration that match the trial theme.
The organizer will place at the disposal of the Judges:
- 6 accessories for attack
- 1 obstacle for attack (see rules)
- 6 hiding places for Search and Escort + 1 mobile hiding place
- 3 jumps (according to the plans in the rules)
- 6 Retrieve objects (see list in the rules)
- food (see rules)
- wooden objects for search (15 X 2 X 2 cm)
- 2 blank guns with 6mm (triple charge) or 9 mm ammunition
- flags necessary for Stopped Attack
- official score sheets
- 1 or 2 distractions for the Absence of Handler
- 3 or 4 objects for Guard of an Object.
It is preferred that the objects fit the theme of the trial.
The Judge will choose the retrieve object and attack accessory on the morning of the competition. During the Dog in White, the Judge must be attentive to the use of the accessory (which must never resemble the object to guard). The organizer will also provide a Dog in White for each level and for each day of the competition. For the starting signals, the organizer will provide a horn. A whistle may not be used, being used solely by the handlers for recalls.
A resting area (room) that can be closed must be available for the Decoys to conceal themselves while they are not working with the dogs. This site should be located at least 5 m from the field, and such that the dogs cannot detect the presence of the Decoys. No container of water may be placed on the field or on the boundaries that could distract the dog from their work. During the preparation for the search exercise, a hiding place will be provided outside the field so that the handler will be able to hide himself with his dog. A container shall be made available there, so that he may let his dog drink as much as it wants.
The organizing club will hold a drawing to decide the order in which the competitors compete. It is optional for there to be a drawing for the order of the exercises. A drawing for the order of exercises is optional and at the discretion of the judge (whether or not the participants are present). Bitework will never start with the search, nor will it start with the flee in level 3. The position for the start (sit, down, stand) of the Change of Positions exercise will be chosen by a drawing. Another optional drawing will decide the position for the Absence of the Handler.
It is mandatory that a Dog in White pass through each level before the beginning of a trial. Competitors must be present for the Dog in White.
Food must be varied and of a reasonable size (maximum of fist-size). It will consist of raw or cooked meat, fish head, cheese, dried cake, sugar, etc. All bones and raw pork are forbidden. (Risk of infection by the Aujeszky virus).
The baton must be made of bamboo split in quarters, 60-80cm long with a diameter between 20 and 30 mm. The stick cannot open up like a fan during barrage.
Must protect the decoy effectively, it must be flexible enough to allow easy movements and running in a flexible manner. The suit cannot be ridiculous in any way, cannot have too wide sleeves or be too hard for the dog to grip. The suit must allow the dog a grip of at least 7cm in depth, and the thickness of the suit in the dog’s mouth must be between 3 and 5cm. It is forbidden for the decoy to change suit for a trial according to the dog.
Commands are to be given according to the rules and may be given in the native language of the handler. Any commands separated by a pause, recall or to make the dog stay will be considered an extra command.
The sheets must conform to the official model and include all instructions relative to the competition. A sheet is provided for each level. At the time of the trial, 3 sheets will be provided per dog, 1 is an original and 2 are duplicates. The original is given to the Judge, a duplicate is given to the competitor when the results are announced, and the second duplicate is reserved for the organizing club.
The Judges assigned to officiate in a trial are designated by the official organization of each participating country. If the Jury is composed of more than one Judge, they will Judge together. The Judges must thoroughly master the rules and conform to them.
The Judges will have total control and are responsible for the deployment of all activity of the competition, and in particular, the ability to regulate the work of the Decoys in their function in all levels. They must apply the penalties described by the well-defined faults, with the strictest observance of the rules. Each penalty corresponds to a fault, to an insufficiency of the dog, or an infraction committed by the handler. All the handlers, even beginners, must know the rules and regulations, and know these penalties.
The decisions of the Judges are final in every case not described in the rules. Only the Judges have the leadership of the trials. All the exercises must be executed under their direction. With the aid of a horn, they will give the signal for the beginning and end of each exercise. The Judges must take care that all exercises proceed in the same manner for all dogs. The trial conditions must be the same for all competitors.
The Judges will total the points obtained by the dog and sign the score sheets. The score sheet will be posted within 15 minutes following the passage of the competitor.
To take into account a necessary progression and to increase the difficulties gradually, it is logical to view the organization of trials in 3 Levels, giving to each a maximum of points:
The table below presents a convenient notation for the proposed totals.
| Exercises | I | II | III |
| Heel (without leash) | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Absence of the handler | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Refusal of food | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| Sending out ahead | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Retrieve of thrown object | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Positions | 10 | 20 | 20 |
| Search for object | – | 15 | 15 |
| Palisade | *15 | *15 | 15 |
| Hurdle | *15 | 20 | 20 |
| Long Jump | *15 | *15 | 20 |
| Face attack with baton (+ obstacles in II and III) | 50 | 40 | 50 |
| Flee attack | 50 | 30 | 30 |
| Defence of handler | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Stopped flee attack | – | – | 30 |
| Search and escort | – | 40 | 40 |
| Face attack with accessories | – | 40 | 50 |
| Guard an object | – | – | 30 |
| TOTAL | 200 | 300 | 400 |
* Optional exercises
Qualifiers
| 0 – 299 | Insufficient |
| 300 – 319 | Sufficient |
| 320 – 339 | Good |
| 340 – 359 | Very Good |
| 360 – 400 | Excellent |
In case of tie scores, the dogs will be judged according to the following criteria:
1. Most points in biting exercises,
2. Most points in obedience exercises,
3. Most points in jumping exercises.
A: Turnstile, movable 1,5 m x 0,3 mB: Panel, movable 1,5 m x 0,6 m
C: Pivots
D: Adjustable height 1,0 – 1,2 m
The wide of the palissade 1,5m. -1,9 m.
E: Timber
F: Planking of 10 cm and 27-30 mm thick, not planed
G: Adjustable height between 1,8m-2,3 m
H: Arranged slats with 30 cm distance
I: Fixed panel 1 m
J: Movable seesaw ”key”
K: Wooden or metallic frame
L: Coloured elastic bands or light metallic bars or PVC bars, wide appr. 30 cm distance
G.A. = General Attitude
Ech. = Level
H.A. = Decoy
Handler = dog handler, master, conductor
Kg = kilogram
m = meter
mn = minute
Sec = second
P = point
Suppl. = additional
1995 Provisions
The current International Rules for MONDIORING Competition (RCI-MR) were discussed and adopted by the Commission for Working Dogs in a meeting on March 17, 2001 at Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
Only the competent national association is allowed to permit tests in their country. In case of dispute in the interpretation, the French text is applied.
The FCI Utility Dogs Commission
President: Eberhard Strasser
March 17, 2001, Nova Gorica, Slovenia
This RCI-MR (International Mondioring Rules) has been adopted by the General Committee of the FCI in May 2002 (Weissbad).
Changes in bold and italics were approved by the FCI General Committee in Paris, October 2016.